Contents

Overview

The Esperanto made its first appearance in Grand Theft Auto III, and its design has remained almost exactly the same in the following games, with only minor styling changes (mostly to the taillights and rear bumper).

A modified variant (with official taxi ID plaques) is driven by Niko Bellic's cousin, Roman and is simply called Roman's Taxi when getting into that particular Esperanto. When free cab rides from Roman's garage are unlocked, an Esperanto will be sent to pick Niko up. It changes to a Cavalcade after Roman purchases a penthouse in Algonquin, fetching around $20,000+ at Stevie's. It can be obtained in Roman's missions after you complete them, you can steal the ones that Roman sends to you to pick you up however the doors are locked at first so either shoot the driver or get in as a passenger, go to a safehouse, then when Niko gets out, quickly get in front and aim a gun at Mohammed, he will freak out and leave the car, leaving you to kill him for his money (he usually carries some extra cash) or just let him run, and now that the door is open you can just jack it.

The Esperanto was one of the first cars to appear in any media in the run-up to GTA IV's release. It has often been mistakenly referred to as an "Albany" due to the fact that the word is conspicuously emblazoned on the grille. In actuality, Albany is the "make" of the car (other vehicles are seen with the Albany nameplate on their decklids and logos, such as the Primo), while Esperanto is the model. In GTA IV, after collecting all thirty cars for Stevie he agrees to purchase cars from Niko Bellic, with the Esperanto fetching $1,800.

Design

GTA III — GTA Vice City Stories

The GTA III era Esperanto is based on a 1975-1978 Cadillac Eldorado, more specifically the 1975 and 1976 models judging by the taillights. However, the vehicle has received significant changes throughout its appearances in these games.

When introduced in GTA III (and, later, in GTA Liberty City Stories), the Esperanto features a slightly curvy profile and flatter details. The GTA Vice City rendition (as well as the GTA Vice City Stories rendition) received a major retouch with the vehicle featuring a more angular body design, detailed fascia and rear fin that slant forward. GTA San Andreas' Esperanto is essentially similar in design as that of GTA Vice City, but noticeably sports differences in the rear, with its tailfin-based taillights reduced in height (implying they are now part of the rear bumper) and its rear license plate relocated from the trunk lid to the bumper. Similarly, the GTA Advance rendition maintains much of the psychical traits of previous Esperanto's as seen from the top down.

One of the earliest known name of the car is the "Esparanto", revealed during development of GTA III and depicted in the Capital Autos website. The beta Esperanto was also intended to feature hydraulics, but the feature was dropped in the final release. This feature was passed to the Yardie Lobo however.

GTA IV

In Grand Theft Auto IV, the Albany Esperanto is very different to the earlier renditions. Rather than being a large two-door coupe, the new car is a mid-sized four-door sedan. Its styling inspiration appears to be a pastiche of common late-70s/early-80s American car styling.

GTA V

In Grand Theft Auto V, the North Yankton State Patrol's squad cars are based on the Esperanto, a vehicle otherwise unavailable in GTA V. Aside from the addition of police-related equipment and snow tires, it is identical to the GTA IV version. The North Yankton Esperanto is not intended to be obtainable, as it only appears in the prologue mission.

Performance

GTA III — GTA Vice City Stories

Although performance aspects vary slightly between games for this vehicle, acceleration and speed are generally quite satisfying with the rear-drive V8 powertrain. The one common problem with the Esperanto, however, is its notoriously bad brakes - a problem that is only exacerbated by the vehicle's weight. Traveling at high speed it takes some time to bring the vehicle to a stop which, besides often causing minor accidents, becomes a potentially fatal problem in GTA III, where Claude is unable to jump from a moving vehicle, exposing him to serious danger in a fast-moving Esperanto about to explode. The car's handling is highly responsive, but again, the vehicle's size and weight cause problems, predisposing it to two-wheeling and loss of control when overcompensating for a swerve at high speeds. However, its huge mass absorbs damage quite well, making it a good vehicle for ramming smaller ones (and even comparably sized ones) off the road.

GTA IV

The Albany Esperanto is powered by a high-torque V6, paired with a 5 speed gearbox in RWD configuration. The low displacement and hefty weight of the vehicle make acceleration below average, but give the latest Esperanto an acceptable top speed of 130 km/h (80 mph). Handling is also acceptable, though some oversteer can be felt. The suspension can be described as moderately firm, yet soft enough to cope with the rough streets of Liberty City. Braking has improved significantly over the GTA III-era Esperanto, though ABS is still not available. Crash deformation is very good, with the vehicle retaining much of its original shape after accidents; though build quality is rather poor, leaving the Esperanto disabled after a few accidents.

Customization in GTA San Andreas

The Esperanto in GTA San Andreas can be modified at a TransFender, but is only offered a bare minimum of modification options: